Seared Shrimp Salad

This light and refreshing salad makes for a perfect warm-weather meal when avocados are in season.

Yield: 4 servings

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Ingredients

1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

1 teaspoon honey

3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon plus a pinch of salt

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

One 5-ounce bag prewashed mixed greens (about 8 cups)

2 oranges, peeled and segmented

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

1 ripe avocado, halved, seeded, and thinly sliced

Directions

Combine the orange juice, lime juice, honey, 1/2 teaspoon of the crushed red pepper, the soy sauce, and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt in a small nonreactive bowl. Whisk to blend. In a slow, steady stream, whisk in the 1/4 cup olive oil. Set the vinaigrette aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining olive oil in a 12- inch saute pan over medium-high heat. In a bowl, toss the shrimp with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper. Add the shrimp to the pan, in two batches if necessary, and cook until they have curled and are just cooked through, 2 minutes on each side. Transfer the shrimp to a paper towel-lined plate and reserve.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the greens, oranges, red onion, and pinch of salt. Whisk the vinaigrette, and add 3 tablespoons to the salad. Toss lightly to combine, and then divide the salad among four serving plates. Take 3 to 4 slices of the avocado and fan them out on top of each salad. Divide the shrimp evenly among the salads. Drizzle a little more vinaigrette over the shrimp and avocado, and serve immediately.